First off, what is spinal stenosis? Spinal stenosis is the narrowing or tightening of the spinal canal. The spinal canal is a long tunnel running through the center of the spine, which contains the spinal cord and the nerve roots. When this canal is narrowed, the spinal cord and the nerve roots may be compressed.

Primary vs. acquired stenosis
Doctors categorize the cause of spinal stenosis in two ways, primary and acquired. Primary means a person had it since birth. Some people are born with narrower spinal canals than others. It may not present problems early in life but these people are more prone to acquire back pain later in life. The other category is acquired. This is commonly a result of disease or injury to the spine. Acquired stenosis is more common compared to primary stenosis. The direct cause of acquired stenosis is "wear and tear" on the spine as a result of aging.

What are some symptoms of stenosis?
The symptoms that usually occur due to the compression of the spinal cord and nerves are:

Neck, shoulder, arm or hand pain

Weakness in the arms or legs

Lack of coordination and "clumsiness"

Imbalance when walking

Bladder or bowel incontinence

Treatment
There are non-surgical ways to manage spinal stenosis. These include:

Alternative treatment such as acupuncture or massage

Easy exercises and swimming

Good posture and proper body mechanics

The use of over-the-counter NSAIDs to reduce pain and inflammation such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen

Chiropractic care

Physical therapy

In severe cases, doctors may use as epidural steroid injection

In some situation where the stenosis is not managed by non-surgical treatments, surgical procedure may be opted by the physician. If your doctor recommends back surgery, it's recommended that you get a second opinion first. Much like any surgery, back surgeries are complicated, and you want to make sure it's necessary before you go through the procedure.

As a Kentucky Personal Injury Attorney, I know that this onset of pain must be properly documented by your doctor to have a chance of collecting for your injuries. Don't wait to see a doctor after an accident. If you don't see a doctor right away, you are putting your accident case at risk. You may not get the compensation you need. Don't let that happen! See your doctor and tell them what hurts so you can start recovering.

There is no easy answer to your question. The records will have to be turned over to the defense attorney in litigation. In most situations the defense will argue a pre-existing condition. In actuality it is a pre-existing condition that has been brought into a disabling reality by the car wreck. If it is handled correctly it can be a positive in your case. If you would like to discuss this further feel free to give my office a call.

by Mike Schafer May 30, 2017 at 08:44 AM

I seen a spine surgeon who implied I had cervical stenosis before my auto accident. But I never had pain until then. Will turning in this report help or discredit my chances for a bigger settlement

by Diana Lee May 26, 2017 at 05:40 PM

If you are injured in the accident and sue the other driver, you may similarly find that the other driver argues that your injuries were not related to the accident.There may be factors which you don't know, which played a role in the accident, and it may turn out that the other driver was more at fault than you.Knowing what to do and how to get things done is usually very important. Naturally, it really is also very important to know the way in which to get it done. Best to always sought the best ones in town like.

Michael A. Schafer and The Schafer Law Office represents clients and accident victims throughout Kentucky including Louisville, Lexington, LaGrange, Shepherdsville, Taylorsville, Shelbyville, Brandenburg, Elizabethtown, Frankfort, Carrolton, Bardstown, Munfordville, New Castle, Richmond, Bowling Green, St. Matthews, Prospect, Shively, Fairdale, Middletown, Douglas Hills, Valley Station and Pleasure Ridge Park. Cases are also handled in Jefferson County, Bullitt County, Oldham County, Shelby County, Hardin County, Spencer County, Fayette County, Franklin County, Carrol County, Henry County, Madison County, Nelson County, Anderson County, Trimble County, Larue County, Hart County and Meade County, Kentucky.